Monday, January 30, 2017

I found a technique on the Spectrum Noir website that I wanted to incorporate in this card. Here is the original post for Watercolor Stripes. I decided to do some striping, but I made mine into more of a plaid design to go along with the summer theme. Most tablecloths you think of for picnics are the iconic red and white gingham/plaid. I just used more of a pink palette. I wanted it a bit softer behind the big strawberries. It was so easy, and I'm definitely going to use more of this technique in future projects.

You'll draw lines, either freehand or with a ruler (I used a ruler for spacing) with your colored pencils and depending on how much water or how think you'd like your stripes is up to you! This was done on the Spectrum Aqua Watercolour Cardstock. It's THE best cardstock for watercoloring. I love it. I think I need to buy it in bulk...

I used 3 strawberries I stamped onto the watercolour cardstock and colored in with the Spectrum Noir AquaBlend Pencils. I used a water brush pen to move the color around and blend them.

I adhered them onto my striped background with some foam adhesive and snuck the sentiment in below. I scattered the sequins around to give it a little sparkle. I hope you enjoyed seeing my take on a technique from the blog.

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Good morning! You can never have enough birthday cards on hand I don't think. These are ones I really try to make every month I craft and as you can imagine, I have a great stash of these already.

So if you're ever wondering what kinds of cards are great to have on hand, here's a small list:

Birthday

Anniversary

Sympathy

Get Well

Congraulations

Thank you

That's just a start if you're stumped on what types of cards to create to have on hand. I hope that helps you when you sit down to create next time.

The card I created today used my beloved Bebunni inside a piece of cake! How adorable is he? I simply love these images. I used colored pencils today to give him some life and I just love how realistic you can get with the shading in a soft looking manner. The Spectrum Noir Colored Pencils are just amazing for coloring these in.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

I have a fun card today that I designed for Spectrum Noir using, you guessed it, watercoloring! I told you that you'd be seeing more of this technique from me. I decided to use a garden theme for this card since I'm already looking forward to spring. Come on, groundhog!

I used a couple sets from Sheena Perfect Partners Home Life for this garden inspired card. I just love how realistic you can get with using watercolors. I used the Spectrum Aqua Markers. They're just perfect. I love that you get a thicker tip and a fine tip to add details directly to your piece, such as the lines on the onion that you can see in the picture, and the veins on the leaves of the turnips.

This technique is called no-line watercolor. I stamped the veggies in a lighter brown Distress ink so that it didn't make a crisp hard line that you can see. I was able to color over it with the watercolor markers to make it disappear. You just need the lines faintly there to know where and what you're coloring. It gives a real depth to your coloring. You can use this technique with colored pencils and markers, as well! Try it!

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Good morning! I don't know about you, but I appreciate my children's teachers greatly. I volunteer once a month this year for my youngest's classroom by coming in to listen to him and his classmates read to me for an hour. I have never volunteered, and I am honestly regretting not doing this sooner. I love going, and I'm so in awe of how the teachers run the classroom so smoothly. It makes me really appreciate what they do every day. I wanted to make his teacher and teacher's aide thank you cards to show that I appreciate them. I think I'll include a gift card inside for them. Any suggestions as to where? I'd love to give them for Valentine's Day. I think it makes them smile when you drop off little treats like this. I hope they understand how much I do appreciate what they do.

For this, I used a cute little bushel of apples and the sentiment that it just perfect for this card! (I did make two of these cards; one for each teacher.)

I chose the lined patterned paper behind everything and added a small heart in the lower right corner.

I used a messier look to watercolor the image in with my Spectrum Noir Aqua Markers. I color a swatch onto an acrylic block and pick up the color with a water brush pen.

For the blue background around the bushel, I flicked on the color for the dots of blue. I love watercoloring so much, so plan on seeing a lot from me using this coloring method! It's just too fun.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my cards for these patient and loving women that teach 20-something 7 year olds day in and day out! I can't wait to give these to them.

Friday, January 20, 2017

Morning, everyone. Hope everyone's day has started off nicely. Today I have a very simple card with a lot of punch by simply coloring a bold image. A tip here is to color your images ahead of time and keep them on hand so that you can whip up a card or gift tag in no time at all. I usually color these when I'm at my oldest's Boy Scout meetings. While he's doing his thing, I sit at the table and color. I usually have a lot of the moms there ask what I'm doing and I'm happy to share what products I'm using. I hope to inspire others to sit down, color, and create something with them.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Good morning! I have some exciting news to share with you all today. I am now proud to announce that I'm part of the Spectrum Noir Design Team. I can't explain how thrilled I am to be a part of this team with these amazing talented artists.If you have noticed, I use Spectrum Noir products in almost every project I've created for quite a while now. And every new product that gets introduced, I fall more in love. I've used so many different products and none compare to the ones offered by Spectrum Noir. They're affordable, and just amazing to color with. Check out the blog over at at Spectrum Noir to see all the products offered and get design inspiration across the board. You'll be in awe of the creations!Spectrum Noir WebsiteSpectrum Noir Blog

Every month, Spectrum Noir offers a different challenge. Check out this month's challenge HERE.

Ready for a brand new challenge? Color up ANYTHING you want using
your Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, Sparkle markers, blendable colored
pencils, watercolor pencils, Spectrum Aqua markers, or AquaTint inks,
put it on any card or project, and you can play along with us! Share
your work with us, enter below and you’ll be in with a chance of being
chosen for our Card of the Month or Top Three spots!

*PLAY ALONG WITH OUR BONUS THEME: USE A COLORING PAGE

Want to be in with a chance of winning $30/£30 in Spectrum Noir or
Spectrum Aqua products? Color a project using our bonus theme, like our
Design Team did, and you’ll be entered to win loads of coloring goodies!
Please remember to use only Spectrum Noir products for coloring; you
may enter up to five times. Click on the above link for details on how to enter.

Here is my card for the monthly challenge. I color images in my Colorista coloring pads while I'm out, usually at my oldest's Boy Scout meetings. While he's in his meeting, I sit down and use my time to color. This way, I have images that are colored and ready to make into something like this card below! It's a great way to pass the time AND have images ready to create into a card (or other item) quicker.

This page is a part of the Colorista coloring pad called Butterfly Garden. It has gorgeous gold accents on the butterflies (not captured above) that really add elegance to these colored images. I used a small tag with a sentiment stamped in Versamark ink and embossed with white embossing powder. I then applied a distress ink over that and flicked on some water to create a splotchy effect. I pulled a piece of orange ribbon from my stash to coordinate.

I
chose a purple card base to accent the colors in the butterflies. See
how much punch you can pack with just coloring 2 butterflies?

The Colorista colored pencils blend beautifully together. You adjust the amount of color with the pressure you apply while coloring. That's where the white and light areas come in. Less pressure = less color. More pressure = more intense color. I thought I loved the markers until I used the colored pencils! Plus, they're easy to take along with you. I keep a few coloring pads, Colorista markers and colored pencils in my bag ready to just grab and go. I love how easy it is to relax and color. Have a blast entering your project into the monthly challenge, and good luck!

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Good morning everyone! I know things have been a little delayed this month. Coming off of a big month like December is always difficult I think! But, here we are going forward with a new year, so that means new cards to create. New ideas. Fun colors. Let's get started on this card I created today. I wanted something bright and pretty reminding me that spring is not that far away. It's not, right? Please tell me it isn't. I am not a huge winter fan, and if you've followed my blog long enough, I'm pretty sure I've mentioned that a few times. Or a few hundred...

Today, I decided to do some embossing and then rubbing a soft blue "sky" over the embossed design to minic a sky for my colorful little butterflies. The sentiment is simple for this clean layout. Perfect for so many different occasions.

One of my goals this year is to make or purchase a card box that I can separate by categories so I can pull one when I need one. My other goal is to purchase in bulk envelopes for all these handmade beauties. I hope you enjoyed my simple and clean card today. Be on the lookout over at the Crafter's Companion site and blog for more inspiration by the talented designers I am lucky to join.